If you don’t stop slouching, my auntie Camile said, then I ask you, do you want me to sit up straight the whole day? If I don’t listen to my mother, I listen to her. She teaches me how to cook foods like chicken, ham, turkey legs, and others. She would tell me not to be rude and disrespectful. She would say something like, Don’t leave your room without making up your bed. You don’t know who you’re bringing back home for company. She also tells me to clean up my house before leaving, having company, and going to sleep.

I always listen to her because I love her and she always advises me. She tells me to get into the right crowd of people to hang around. She tells me to be a lot of activities in school. She tells me that I can’t be around a lot of violence, because that can go on my record. If I do something bad, I can’t do what I want. She always tells me that I can have what she has when she gets done with it. She doesn’t let me cook or clean really when I’m at her house, she does it. She always tells me that I’m not special because I think that I am. She does not let me sit around and be lazy.

She always tells me to be up and active. She always tells me to follow my dreams, be who I wanna be, and keep moving on with my life. She tells me that everything doesn’t always have to go my way. Because I think that if it’s not my way, it’s the highway.

I love my aunt with all my heart. She is the one who teaches me most of my lessons. Thank you for listening to my story.